Television Antenna Towers

I've been planning on buying either a digital or HD tower antenna. But if it's not going to last, I don't want to throw my money away. (Or are they just getting rid of the analog signal -- meaning the digital antenna will still work?)

No, over the air digital/HDTV is not going away

Provided you aren't far from the stations you are trying to receive, you don't need a tower antenna to get HDTV. A simple antenna such as the Zenith Silver Sensor work great for most people. This is because it is much easier to ensure proper reception with a digital signal being sent instead of the analog signal most people are use to. It's simply either going to look perfect or it won't show up at all.

To find out how close you are to the stations you wish to pick up...follow my link below:

2006-12-06 08:50:19 by BulletBite_45

Demolition of 33 year old TV antenna tower in Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE. The tower will be replaced by fiber optic system.

I currently have an amplified Phillips indoor antenna which I can place just outside the door and get good reception from the towers in my area (40 mi away). If I get an outdoor mid-range antenna (as suggested by antennaweb, w/ a pre-amp) do I really need the pre-amp you think? I'm looking at this one: http://www.antennasdirect.com/42XG_telev ision_antenna.html

Also, how does the signal strength affect the actual reception? Regardless of if I'm 70 on the scale or 90, I really can't tell a big difference.

A preamp should not be necessary unless you expect a long run of cable from your antenna to your receiver. Be sure to use high quality coax (RG-6) for your lead in. In general, if the signal is above a minimum level, you will not see any difference in picture quality, but if the signal gets too weak, the picture will break up or disappear. The advantage of getting a high reading on your receiver signal strength meter is to allow for occasional reductions in signal strength due to weather conditions.

2007-01-16 16:41:45 by mjanva

Price: $753.99

Works up to 70 miles or more from transmitters
Very flexible aiming characteristics
Weatherproof construction
Impedance of 300/75 ohm
Range of up to 70 miles or more

Hi-I am looking to get an HDTV antenna. The only problem is that I live about 60 miles from most towers. Does anyone have any suggestions on an antenna that could pick up HD signals from this far away. I have an HD television and I am not opposed to putting the antenna on the roof top. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
The land is flat in my area and I live in a 1 story house.

I'm not a fan of indoor antennas, unless you have no choice. Too many sources of interference to make an indoor one useful. From your distance, I'm guessing those transmitters aren't all that strong.

Best bet is to install an outdoor aerial (highly directional)capable of pulling in distant stations. You can also go to Antennaweb.org to see how far those stations are and suggestions as what kind of antenna to purchase at a minimum.

2007-09-04 08:08:26 by anang2000

Price: $79.99

Extended range with signal reception quality up to 40 miles
Ultra small design needs less than 1 meter of space for placement where traditional antennas do not work
Ultra-small design needs less than 1 meter of space for placement where traditional antennas do not work
Supports all digital and analog TV frequencies including VHF, UHF and 1080 signals
Optimized for digital reception and outperforms many larger antennas

I always wondered if tv antennas picked up stations (wavelengths, frequencies) or what ever using the entire length of the elements or is it just the tips of the elements that does all the work? The same for radio as well. For example, could you slide a piece of plastic pipe down over a radio antenna on your car and just leave about an inch or two exposed at the top...Would it pick up stations just as good both ways? Likewise, could you make your own tv antenna completely out of pvc pipe..Build it to the exact dimensions of a store bought one except out of plastic pipe and just insert a 1 or 2 inch piece of aluminum into the very tips of the elements and attach the wires running inside the pipes? And one more quick question....Why are all tv antennas made out of cheapo light weight tubular aluminum that twists, bends, and breaks when the 1st stiff breeze comes along? Is it just so they can keep selling more antennas or is it just the weight factor or what? Why does it have to be tubular and aluminum? Wouldn't one work just as well if it were made of solid welded steel rods for example? (as long as you had a strong enough pole or tower to support the weight of course)

>using the entire length of the elements or is it just the tips

The entire length.

>could you slide a piece of plastic pipe down over a radio antenna on your car and just leave about an inch or two exposed at the top

The radio waves go through almost all plastics. The plastic will absorb some of the signal though.

>Build it to the exact dimensions of a store bought one except out of plastic pipe and just insert a 1 or 2 inch piece of aluminum into the very tips of the elements and attach the wires running inside the pipes?

The wires inside the pipe will act as part of the antenna.

>Why are all tv antennas made out of cheapo light weight tubular aluminum

Some antennas have been made from plated steel. Home made TV antennas are commonly made from copper wire or steel coat hangers.

Aluminum is common because it doesn't rust, is fairly easy to work with, is relatively cheap, and is has a good strength to weight ratio.

>.Why are all tv antennas made out of cheapo light weight tubular aluminum that twists

Some antennas are flimsy. That's because they are cheaper to manufacture that way. Aluminum antennas can be designed to be quite strong but they cost more to manufacture and weigh more; most buyers want cheap & light instead.

>Why does it have to be tubular

Tubular structures typically have the highest strength to weight ratio. In general, a tube has the highest strength for a given weight of material. The TV signals only travel near the outer surface of the tube, so electrically a tube works just as well as a solid bar.

>Wouldn't one work just as well if it were made of solid welded steel rods for example?

It would work fine (if properly designed!) if you didn't kill yourself installing it.

2009-01-21 05:03:33 by jondough

I have an RCA ant301 antenna that I was using with my 32" Vizio LCD television. I was able to get all the major networks' HD channels. (I live in Los Angeles, so I'm real close to all the broadcasting towers.)

I just got a new TV (a 46" Toshiba Regza), but I'm unable to get any HD channels. The TV tells me the "Signal is too low". Has this sort of thing happened to anybody? Any suggestions?

I tried using a different antenna (a Philips digital antenna that's supposedly "Optimized for HDTV") but it did nothing.

I hate to tell you this but "optimized for HD" is marketing hype. The only thing optimized for HD on that antenna is the box's ability to get people to spend money. There is absolutely nothing about an antenna that makes it "HD" or "digital" or "analog". Retailers used to market the same antennas in the 1970s and called them "color".

Antennas are totally frequency (channel) dependent. They don't care about what's on the channel. Therefore any TV antenna will work equally well for digital or analog.

When I got my Toshiba, it was set to "cable" tuning right out of the box. Make sure it is set for antenna tuning and the rescan for channels. If that doesn't do it, you probably need a better antenna.

The antenna you need depends on the signal strength in your area. Visit http://www.antennaweb.org . Based on your zip code, the site will suggest the proper antenna for your situation with a standard color code. Take those colors to a store, the color ranges should be listed on the antenna boxes.

2009-03-31 00:10:18 by Adam